Happy ending? Scarlett Johansson and Disney settle 'Black Widow' lawsuit
It looks like the differences between Scarlett Johansson and Walt Disney Co. are over. On Thursday, both sides issued statements, saying they had settled the lawsuit involving Johansson's latest movie under Disney, Black Widow. The actress had sued the studio two months back for releasing the movie on Disney+ while it was running in the theaters, thereby impacting her potential income. Read on.
'I am happy to have resolved our differences with Disney'
Although both sides drew the white flag, details of the settlement were not made public. Both voiced their wish to work together in the future too. Johansson's statement said, "I am happy to have resolved our differences with Disney... I'm incredibly proud of the work we've done together over the years and have greatly enjoyed my creative relationship with the team."
Scar Jo's next with Disney, 'Tower of Terror' is on
"I'm very pleased that we have been able to come to a mutual agreement with Scarlett Johansson regarding Black Widow (sic)," noted Alan Bergman, the chairman of Disney Studios Content. He mentioned having been looking forward to collaborating with the star on "a number of upcoming projects." This will include Disney's Tower of Terror, which was earlier rumored to being canned.
Johansson had alleged Disney breached agreement by simultaneous streamer release
In the July lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Johansson, who plays Black Widow aka Natasha Romanoff in the Marvel movies, had alleged a large part of her earnings was based on the 2021 film's theatrical release. And, Disney dropping it on the streamer without giving her any prior notice or post-recognition of the digital release was an "intentional" violation of their agreement.
Suit: Bitter words were exchanged, $50 million payout was sought
Back then, Disney's attorney, Daniel Petrocelli, had slammed the suit, calling it a highly "orchestrated PR campaign." In response, Johansson's lawyer, John Berlinski, had called Disney's statement a "bullying and misogynist personal attack." To note, the Oscar-nominated actress had also sought a $50 million payout from the studio in her suit. We do not know if any payout has been initiated.
The actress had received colleagues' support, but co-Avengers remained mum
The explosive lawsuit garnered the support of many industry colleagues and netizens but Johansson's co-Avengers remained tight-lipped about the development. Only WandaVision star Elizabeth Olsen openly commented on the issue. Dave Bautista, who plays Drax in Marvel movies, had even tweeted a slight at Johansson.
